2012 Interior Design Trends: Chinese Year of the Dragon

This year is the year of the dragon and not just any dragon, The Black Water Dragon to be exact. For those who have their homes organised and live by Feng Shui will love bringing soft golds teamed with black, blues and greens into their homes this year. Obviously the element of water is to be included along with wood and earth.

Integrate gold stripes into your home on duvet cover sets, bed throws and cheap cushions to team with black and blues to create a rich and interesting colour palette in the bedroom. Don't forget to abide by the rules of Feng Shui when deciding where furniture and furnishings should be placed within a bedroom.

The soft golden hues will bring warmth to your home and while earth is represented by rich earthy colours these can also incorporate the natural tones and colours of wood, making browns and greens ideal colours to blend with gold if you don't like black.

In bathrooms accessories of seashells and fish will be more than acceptable, while living rooms could include black dragon images or ceramic figurines. Just because it's the year of the dragon doesn't mean you have to go mysterious and mystical – take your inspiration from the Chinese and have a Happy & Prosperous Year of the Black Water Dragon.

Image: tattoo4u

2012 Interior Design Trends: Reflecting Your Personality

We all know, or should do, that our interior décor, the colours we choose to use and our tastes in furniture and furnishings should reflect our personality. However, for many having the spare cash to get the designer interior we lust after is a dream we hope one day will come true.

This year is a year for change and despite the gloomy economy and high unemployment figures hope is always on the horizon. You should remember that you're not alone, retailers are also struggling in many areas and as such are offering some great discounts as well as generous sale prices.

'Strike while the iron is hot', so to speak and look for a bedding sale to re-vamp your bedroom on a budget with cheap duvet covers and ready made curtains uk. Up-dating your home is a great morale booster, so rather than let the 'winter blues get you down' surf the net and find yourself some great bargains.

Look for online retailers who guarantee quality and offer such things as free fabric samples to enable you to 'feel the quality of the cloth' before you make your final decision on colour and pattern.

There's a lot of proverbial sayings in this post and whilst I'm no great believer there may be something in them to make you take note and be inspired to change your interior this year to reflect the real you!

Image: Things That Inspire

2012 Interior Design Trends: Eco Colours

Eco, eco-friendly, eco-awareness 'going green' are buzz words which we hear repeated again this year and whilst this is not a bad thing, I don't know about you but it's becoming rather glib – as such interior designers have embraced the eco trend with the use of colour palettes inspired by nature along with promoting the use of natural materials and up-cycling in our homes.

This style lets you chose which aspects of nature interest you the most; for example those who live near or love the sea can adopt colours which remind them of stiff sea breezes and white horses created by crashing waves. This style is not the typical coastal or beach interior design styles that we've also become accustom to. This year the colours come from Northern Europe and are far more invigorating than sand yellows and sky blues.

Others can turn towards Scandinavia for inspiration by using eco-friendly wooden furniture and furnishings with soft grey and white colours interspersed with pops of natural colours, typically greens and blues.

Simple kitchen blinds made from natural cottons and kitchens rugs made from jute are just a couple of examples of how you can bring this fresh new look into your home.

Image: BELLE VIVIR

2012 Interior Design Trends: Urban

This style carries on from last year, with energetic and dynamic interiors fired by bright reds, whites and steely greys. Chic and trendy, this style is ideal for those on a tight budget as pre-moulded plastics, concrete and metal are the key features.

Sofas and mismatched chairs can be piled with cheap cushions and in the bedroom cheap duvet covers in bright bold colours along with trendy steel grey bed throws are all that is needed for warmth and comfort.

Use rugs to cover concrete flooring, along with floor lamps rather than central lighting and the look comes together to create light airy loft apartments which have the vibes of fast paced, contemporary city life which is easy to achieve and maintain.

If red is not your favourite colour use this year's bright orange or oceanic blues and greens as accents against white walls and ceilings, to get the vibrant, dynamic look that oozes chic styling.

Don't forget to add different textures to stop the apartment look cold and lifeless. Distressed leather, plastics and a range of tactile fabrics and textiles will do the trick without having to spend too much.

Image: Adrienne Chinn

2012 Interior Design Trends: Hot Couture

We are all aware that red and pink are perfect colours to create a romantic look to bedrooms and this year it's not surprising that hot-red is forecast to be one of the hottest colour trends. Bright bold reds are toned down by using grey accents to create rooms with attitude and character. This colour isn't for the faint hearted – it does what it says and injects emotion and vibrancy into a room.

You can also tone things down a little by introducing soft golds and whites in a Neo Baroque inspired style. This style also allows you to paint antiqued styled furniture with bright bold reds to sit next to raspberry coloured walls. The furniture may be up-cycle but it doesn't have the Shabby Chic look – it's crisp and dynamic, screaming out to be noticed!

You can get the look by bringing hot-red into your rooms as an accent colour. Make cheap cushions or place red-pink rugs beside your bed. As red is the colour associated with food as well as romance splash pink-reds into your kitchen with new kitchen blinds or kitchen rugs and feed your family's appetite for good food and fabulous interior design inspirations!

Image: estilohome.blogspot

2012 Interior Design Trends: Heritage

Once again we see an emphasis on looking to our heritage, with shades of grey, brown and creams being the main colour schemes. This style means we could in fact go to 'brocantes' to find bygone treasure such as silver plated or pewter accessories if we don't have any family heirlooms of our own to display.

This style also reflects the warmth and comfort that the past holds for most of must. Beautiful damask curtains that may remind us of our grandparents, antique photo frames holding sepia photos can all be put on display around our homes.

Bed throws with hand finished trim don't have to be inherited pieces as new versions can comfortable sit side by side with new to achieve a comforting and welcoming look in our homes. Add lots of textures to your rooms so that they don't become flat and boring, cheap cushions in a variety of shapes and fabrics can be piled onto sofas, chairs and beds to get the look.

Return to days gone by and bring comfort to your kitchen by using kitchen rugs and kitchen blinds in shades of brown and creams, all you need to do is start filling your home with the aroma of home made bread or cakes and you're on the right tracks to achieving this interior design trend.

Image: Atticmag

2012 Interior Design Trends: Brocante

For those who aren't used to hearing or seeing the word 'brocante' in French it basically means 'boot fair' – so the new buzz word in interior design is 'brocante' which sounds far chicer than boot fair! The style encompasses mixing old with new and reflects the current economic climate. It could also be the 'new' shabby chic and it's basis is fundamentally the same.

You visit a brocante and purchase second hand goods, haggle for a good price and grab yourself a bargain. As the saying goes “one man's rubbish (or junk) is another man's treasure”. However, if you don't want a newer version of Shabby Chic you can still grab a bargain as the customary January sales have begun in earnest.

Soft furnishings, curtains, cheap cushions, blinds, kitchen rugs and bedding sale prices means that you don't have to settle for second best or second hand. And whilst I'm not condemning second hand I do wonder why people go for this option where there are so many great finds to be had on the internet and the high street where soft furnishings are concerned.

Ask yourself 'do you really want to sleep on a stranger's used sheets?' - I know I wouldn't go that route – what's your feelings on taking this stance?

Image: A Life's Design